Orange Juice

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I was given a very old wine making book by my father-in-law. In this book it talk about orange wine being one of the easyest to make.
 
I had never heard of this until today and one of my friends asked if you could ferment orange juice..
I would "guess" that a champagne yeast would work well, I mean, you can ferment apples, and they are similar in there acidity... although, I don't know how they compare on fermentable sugars..?
 
This is an interesting topic…. I have been wondering about this for awhile.

I am kind of new in this area, but here are my thoughts….

Anything with sugar can be fermented. Somethings contain more sugar, and/or taste better than others. Since just about every fruit contains sugars they can all be fermented.

When I was in University I had a water bottled filled with OJ that was in my book bag for months and months. A nice black book bag, that warmed up in the heat. I had forgotten about this bottle until the end of the year when I was cleaning out my bookbag...ohhh I found the bottle, which was ready to burst. When I opened it, I discovered that it foamed like crazy, and a little taste test told me it was now carbonated. YUK!

I always figured that some yeast cells trapped in the bottle with the juice made it ferment and carbonate. Just like we bottle beer with some extra sugar or champagne is bottled before all the sugar is fermented. Yeast cells exist naturally and float through the air, live on and in us, etc. The earliest brewers would place their brews outside waiting for the magic yeast ferries to ferment their brew. This was long before anyone knew the actual process that was occurring, and decided to have better control over the actual yeast. So I figured since this bottle was previously opened many times and not the cleanest, that enough yeast found its way in to carbonate my OJ.

I could be way off, as this is not my area… but just a guess. I do know it tasted awful, but hey I am not a fan of orange pop anyways. Raspberry beer, yuk. I like my brew to taste like it should.
 
From Minute Maid web site: http://www.minutemaid.com/aboutus/faqs.shtml

How Can I Tell if a Product is Spoiled?

The product should be discarded if it shows signs of:

Fermentation - A product may ferment when air, containing microorganisms, enters a container. Fermentation will change the flavor and aroma of the product. The packaging may begin to swell and the container could burst.
 
Here's a recipe for orange wine. Not sure how you'd convert it to use orange juice

http://www.easy-wine.net/making-homemade-orange-wine.htm

Orange Wine

10 lbs very ripe oranges
6 lbs granulated sugar
2 gallons water
½ teaspoon grape tannin
2 teaspoons yeast nutrient
1 ounce wine yeast

Boil the two gallons of water in a large stockpot. Peel the oranges, carefully removing all of the pith. Separate the oranges into sections and remove the seeds. Place orange sections into a blender and liquefy. Place liquefied oranges, sugar, tannin, and yeast nutrient into primary fermentation container. Add boiling water and stir until sugar is dissolved. Cover and cool until mixture is room temperature. Add yeast, cover, and ferment for one week. Strain liquid through a finely meshed bag, and transfer to a glass secondary fermentation container. Seal with airtight lid, and rack once a month for four months. Stabilize, wait one week and rack into bottles. Age at least one year before drinking.
 
Here's a recipe for orange wine. Not sure how you'd convert it to use orange juice

http://www.easy-wine.net/making-homemade-orange-wine.htm

Orange Wine

10 lbs very ripe oranges
6 lbs granulated sugar
2 gallons water
½ teaspoon grape tannin
2 teaspoons yeast nutrient
1 ounce wine yeast

Boil the two gallons of water in a large stockpot. Peel the oranges, carefully removing all of the pith. Separate the oranges into sections and remove the seeds. Place orange sections into a blender and liquefy. Place liquefied oranges, sugar, tannin, and yeast nutrient into primary fermentation container. Add boiling water and stir until sugar is dissolved. Cover and cool until mixture is room temperature. Add yeast, cover, and ferment for one week. Strain liquid through a finely meshed bag, and transfer to a glass secondary fermentation container. Seal with airtight lid, and rack once a month for four months. Stabilize, wait one week and rack into bottles. Age at least one year before drinking.

id think take out the oranges, maybe a bit of sugar and possibly the grape tannin and roll with it. to make it as good as it could be experiment by adjusting batch by batch or mini batches and backsweeten some. best bet would be to go with 100% orange juice and the one main thing to do...no potassium sorbate. oh yes and if you get an amazing batch post recipe
 
Oranges smell very like vomit when they are fermenting, it's highly unpleasant and I suspect that most people can't get past the smell.
 
I'll be making orange wine as soon as my oranges ripen. I'm curious, what causes the stink? Does it go away? Can you taste it in the wine? Have you ever taken orange wine to completion?
 
I just tried to brew up some from concentrate and it didn't turn out too well. I Brewed up 1 gallon so in case this turned out as vomit it wouldn't be such a waste.

Here is what I did:
1 Gallon of Orange Juice from Concentrate
Added ~4 FL OZ of Pure Maple Syrup
Yeast: Lalvin 71B-1122
OG: 1.060
FG: 1.004
7.35% Alcohol
Pitched: 12/10/11 Secondary: 12/15/11
Room Temp: 64 degrees

I am not sure if it is the OJ or the small quantity, but this took off and fermented like crazy. It is totally still now and almost all the sugar is gone, only after 7 days. I ended up with some stuff that dose have that "vomit" taste to it. It isn't supper strong and it is still drinkable, but it really isn't overly pleasant to drink.

If I were to try this again I would try to decrease the temperature and brew this as slowly as possible. I also think I would start with a much higher gravity and try to stop it when it reaches around 5-6% Alcohol. That way it will hopefully retain more of it sweetness and orange flavor with less of that "Vomit" flavor.

I am going to leave this batch sit for a long while to see if it tastes any better over time. Good luck to others. Anyone else have any ideas on how to avoid that nasty vomit flavor?
 
abnoba12 said:
I just tried to brew up some from concentrate and it didn't turn out too well. I Brewed up 1 gallon so in case this turned out as vomit it wouldn't be such a waste.

Here is what I did:
1 Gallon of Orange Juice from Concentrate
Added ~4 FL OZ of Pure Maple Syrup
Yeast: Lalvin 71B-1122
OG: 1.060
FG: 1.004
7.35% Alcohol
Pitched: 12/10/11 Secondary: 12/15/11
Room Temp: 64 degrees

I am not sure if it is the OJ or the small quantity, but this took off and fermented like crazy. It is totally still now and almost all the sugar is gone, only after 7 days. I ended up with some stuff that dose have that "vomit" taste to it. It isn't supper strong and it is still drinkable, but it really isn't overly pleasant to drink.

If I were to try this again I would try to decrease the temperature and brew this as slowly as possible. I also think I would start with a much higher gravity and try to stop it when it reaches around 5-6% Alcohol. That way it will hopefully retain more of it sweetness and orange flavor with less of that "Vomit" flavor.

I am going to leave this batch sit for a long while to see if it tastes any better over time. Good luck to others. Anyone else have any ideas on how to avoid that nasty vomit flavor?

I'm new to this and this might be a dumb question, how would you go about stoping the wine during fermentation?
 
seancroome I am fairly new to brewing and vinification also, but I have read that you can bring the temperature down very close to freezing to kill the yeast, I think I read that it should be about 30 degrees F for alcoholic beverages. I also read that there are some chemicals you can use to kill all the yeast. I haven't tried any of this yet.

My Father thinks that the high acid level is what is causing the vomit flavor. He suggested that I try what I said and start at a high gravity, but also add some antacid tablets to bring down the PH before brewing. Once about 7% Alcohol stop the brewing and use some more straight OJ concentrate to bring back that nice OJ taste.

These are all just theories from both of us. I/we would love to hear more about anyone else who has experimented with OJ.
 
abnoba12 said:
seancroome I am fairly new to brewing and vinification also, but I have read that you can bring the temperature down very close to freezing to kill the yeast, I think I read that it should be about 30 degrees F for alcoholic beverages. I also read that there are some chemicals you can use to kill all the yeast. I haven't tried any of this yet.

My Father thinks that the high acid level is what is causing the vomit flavor. He suggested that I try what I said and start at a high gravity, but also add some antacid tablets to bring down the PH before brewing. Once about 7% Alcohol stop the brewing and use some more straight OJ concentrate to bring back that nice OJ taste.

These are all just theories from both of us. I/we would love to hear more about anyone else who has experimented with OJ.

Ya I know about using sorbate to "stop" yeast but I think I'm going to try using the cold to stop it instead. How long should the wine be in the 30F temp for? Week ish?
 
30º temps will not kill the yeast. They just go dormant. They will come back to life when brought back up to warmer temps if there are any sugars present.

I store my bread yeast in the freezer. As soon as I introduce them to warm water....they spring back to life.

Chemicals just retard their reproduction, I don't think it kills them. Racking multiple times will also keep their numbers down and 'slow' down fermentation. I think the only real way to "kill" them is to pasteurize them with heat. I guess there's also the option to use a filter that will remove them from the brew.
 
I didn't realize that yeast were such tough little buggers. I used some Sodium metabisulfite recently in some of my hard Cider so it wouldn't ferment again. I then added a bunch of Honey to sweeten it. Hope I don't end up with some bottle bombs when the yeast makes a come back. It has been a couple of months and so far it looks like everything I have bottled is still still.

P.S. I am trying a second attempt at brewing up the Orange Juice. This time I am using the antacid tables. I'll post my results when I am done.
 
I am giving it a go. I had a half box of oranges my wife and daughter were eating but didn't really like because they were to tart. I was afraid they were going to go bad before they got eaten (starting to get soft) so I cut them in half and hand squeezed out 1 quart of juice. I then dissolved 1 cup of sugar to 1 quart of water, and pored the juice in to the hot water. From there it wen to a 1/2 gallon jug and when it cools down a bit I will add some pectic enzyme. tomorrow I am going to pitch a culture of "domesticated" wild apple cider yeast. will be interesting to see how it comes out.
 
Regarding if the vomit flavor sticks ... my orange was (in effect) a recipe I came up with on my own, with a thought of "a chocolate orange port sounds like it would be good ... only without the wine flavors ... just straight orange and chocolate."

I can tell you that the smell does not in any way stick with the fermenting orange juice. It is just an odor. My chocolate orange port has been fortified (Everclear is legal to sell in the state) and is trying in vain to clear. With the chocolate, I used a bit of cocoa powder in primary, and a whole lotta cocoa nibs in secondary, and it isn't chocolatey enough for me. But it is still sweet, and fairly yummy in and of itself. As one would expect, the flavor is a bit harsh when you taste it warm ... but I'm sure straight out of the chillbox it would be very tasty.

I do need to think of a good, easy clearing way to bring up the chocolatey flavor.
 
I am giving it a go. I had a half box of oranges my wife and daughter were eating but didn't really like because they were to tart. I was afraid they were going to go bad before they got eaten (starting to get soft) so I cut them in half and hand squeezed out 1 quart of juice. I then dissolved 1 cup of sugar to 1 quart of water, and pored the juice in to the hot water. From there it wen to a 1/2 gallon jug and when it cools down a bit I will add some pectic enzyme. tomorrow I am going to pitch a culture of "domesticated" wild apple cider yeast. will be interesting to see how it comes out.

sense I had a half gallon batch that I had added some sugar water to with only 1 qt of OJ I decided to add some real lemon and go for an OJ/skeeter pee hybrid. pitched the starter late last night and its a bubbling away now, can't weight so see how it comes out.
 
Ya know.. that still was pretty rude of me. Let me make good here.

That vomit smell, I'd bet, is due in part to the acids in the OJ as well as the lack of nutrients in it - So while the 'not so great' recipe listed before is valid, I'd add nutrient and either a) put the OJ in incrementally so that the PH isn't totally whacked to begin with or b) brew sugar mash and use OJ for flavor (sort of the same strategy found in the skeeter pee recipes). Also, thoroughly degas (whip out carbonation), backsweeten, rack off the lees/pulp and AGE IT (unless it's not very high gravity to begin with) and you may find yourself with a pretty defensible beverage.

Potassium metabisulfite (campden tabs) create SO2 which sits in suspension and helps inhibit wild yeast and aerobic bacteria growth. The SO2, by displacing the oxygen, also works as a preservative for the flavors of the wine as "oxidized" wine or beer tends to have a much duller flavor (but- oxidizing can work to your advantage if your brew comes out a little too zesty.) Also, something in the process liberates chlorine from the water, which can be nice in places where the water is heavily chlorinated to the point that it affects flavor. Wild yeasts don't do so hot in the presence of sulfite - brewing yeasts are generally quite resistant and work happily in its company.

Sorbate interrupts the yeast's reproductive cycle - technically this does not stop fermentation, it just generally ensures (if you've used quite enough) that whatever yeast is eating your sugars is the last generation of yeast to eat your sugars. It's hard to stop a fermentation that's got lots of sugars and lots of yeasties, that's why vintners wait til their wine is dead dry before adding chemicals and racking.

Oh and- cold WILL stop a ferment that's rolling downhill, but only for so long as it's kept cold (some yeasts can be physically removed by chilling hard and CAREFULLY racking). Heat will KILL the yeast but also evaporates alcohol, and so should be applied very carefully. There's a sticky in the cider forum that explains stovetop pasteurization.
 
Well I finished my second try and brewing up some OJ and this time I totally did away with the vomit flavor. For 1 gallon of OJ I added 3000mg of Calcium carbonate (Aka Antacid tablets). It still wasn't an amazing brew, but it was palatable. This brewed insanely fast with a gravity of 1.080 down to 1.000 in just two weeks. One step closer to making something really good.
 
Well I finished my second try and brewing up some OJ and this time I totally did away with the vomit flavor. For 1 gallon of OJ I added 3000mg of Calcium carbonate (Aka Antacid tablets). It still wasn't an amazing brew, but it was palatable. This brewed insanely fast with a gravity of 1.080 down to 1.000 in just two weeks. One step closer to making something really good.

Did you have any further luck with this?
 
I have made it using oranges and grapefruit...needed a long time to age, and it was good. I have made wine using canned mandarin oranges and pineapple juice...it was very good. Now satsumas are in season and I have had satsuma/hibiscus wine in the secondary for two months. The jury is still out. In my opinion, citrus wine should not sit on heavy lees for more than 5 days...something funky happens and it has to age out longer. The connisuers here know the technical reasons why, I only had to be told once! Good luck!!!
 
I've made Orange juice wine and been very successful, those who talk about it as if its nasty or an abomination really don't know how to make it or have ever done it.. its really a soft wine with a pleasant citrus smell and medium sweet. Below I'm attaching a picture to show the outcome ..


ForumRunner_20130106_134854.png
 
Care to share the recipe?

Sure
I made two 3 liter jugs and used 96 oz of fresh orange juice along with 64 oz of pineapple juice to counteract the bitterness and two pounds of granulated sugar diluted with two cups of sterile water.I used a packet of Red Star Champagne yeast split in half started with an SG 1.096. I allowed it to ferment for three months while racking it every week and got an SG of .996 at that point i backsweetened to bring it to 1.015 at that point it was still cloudy but new years was quickly approching so i added a finning agent to clear it and within 24 i was able to rack it and bottle it. I made eight 750ml that were are enjoyed on New Years eve
 
I've made Orange juice wine and been very successful, those who talk about it as if its nasty or an abomination really don't know how to make it or have ever done it.. its really a soft wine with a pleasant citrus smell and medium sweet. Below I'm attaching a picture to show the outcome ..


View attachment 92638

Beautiful!!!
 
Thanks for your recipe as well. I will try it out. The common thing that I am seeing is that a lot of the recipes that end up smelling like vomit have other attributing flavor additives; maple syrup and malt. I made a gallon of Orange "drink" two days ago, and it is rolling falling just fine so far with no vomit smell. I really like the taste of just straight orange juice, so I am going to play around it and see how it goes. I stopped by the LHBS, and the guy recommended the yeast due to the acidity of orange juice.

- 1/2 gallon pasteurized orange juice
- 1/4 gallon of water
- 2 lbs of pure cane sugar
- Lalvin 71B-1122 yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon yeast nutrient

Jody
 
Thanks for your recipe as well. I will try it out. The common thing that I am seeing is that a lot of the recipes that end up smelling like vomit have other attributing flavor additives; maple syrup and malt. I made a gallon of Orange "drink" two days ago, and it is rolling falling just fine so far with no vomit smell. I really like the taste of just straight orange juice, so I am going to play around it and see how it goes. I stopped by the LHBS, and the guy recommended the yeast due to the acidity of orange juice.

- 1/2 gallon pasteurized orange juice
- 1/4 gallon of water
- 2 lbs of pure cane sugar
- Lalvin 71B-1122 yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon yeast nutrient

Jody

Jody did they explain the racking task, how to get rid of the dry bitter taste and clearing ? My first wine was almost exactly what you wrote and it was bitter
 
Big_Cat, no they didn't. I started with the intent of making an orange cider, but it seems as though I have ventured into wine making. I think that I have more reading to do...
 
Big_Cat, no they didn't. I started with the intent of making an orange cider, but it seems as though I have ventured into wine making. I think that I have more reading to do...

Its really no that hard and this forum is wonderful ..just buy a gallon of 100% orange juice and make two half gallon batches...one with just the orange juice and the other blending it with a sweet fruit to counteract the bitterness ...add your sugars to get exact gravity reading on both and wait two weeks...rack, do your reading and wait an extra week...taste and see which you'll like to leave to clear...believe me its not hard
 
My peach wine and peach/mango/strawberry/banana both had a vomit smell. Then the smell went away. The peach wine is my very favorite and I am so glad I did not put it down the drain. The 4 way blend is still aging and the last bottle we tested was not too bad and just needs to age more.
 
First attempt at Home Brew. Here's what I used.

8 lbs of oranges
2 liters of minute maid 100% orange juice
1 kg of white sugar
2 cups of brown sugar
Traditional Yeast (My mistake)
2 Gallons of water.

First I purified the oranges in a blender and put them aside. Second, I dissolved the sugars in a 1 gallon pot of heated water but only till all dissolved at high heat ( NO BOIL). Third, I took three packs of traditional yeast and dissolved it in a half cup of the sugar water at around 95 or so degrees and let stand 15 minutes while the yeast activated (The sugars swelled fast). Then in a 4 Gallon pale (Cleaned all parts) I added the Juices and Sugars and stirred for 5 mins then added water. After that I added the Yeast mixture (all at room temperature). Then for 1 night I stored it all at around 78-84 degrees while it took off fomenting. I then moved it into a cooled room which is around 65-70 Degrees.

Going to let it ferment for 14 days. Then filter and add to 2 liter bottles with 3 Tablespoons of sugar in each bottle and rest in cool Place for 3 more weeks.
 
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